Online Search Trends Related to Bariatric Surgery and Their Relationship with Utilization in Australia.

PURPOSE: There is an abundance of online information related to bariatric surgery. Patients may prefer a specific type of bariatric surgery based on what they read online. The primary aim of this study was to determine online search trends in bariatric surgery over time in Australia and worldwide. The secondary aim was to establish a relationship between public online search activity and the types of bariatric surgery performed in Australia. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The terms "adjustable gastric band," "sleeve gastrectomy," and "gastric bypass surgery" were submitted for search volume analysis in Australia and worldwide using the Google Trends "Topic" search function. This was compared alongside the numbers of gastric bandings, sleeve gastrectomies, and gastric bypass surgeries performed in Australia over time to determine if there was a relationship between the two. RESULTS: Search trends for "adjustable gastric band" and "sleeve gastrectomy" in Australia were similar to trends seen worldwide. However, search trends for "gastric bypass surgery" differ between Australia and the rest of the world. It took at least a year for online searches to reflect the higher number of sleeve gastrectomies performed relative to gastric bandings. There was a lag time of over four years before online searches reflected the higher number of gastric bypass surgery performed compared to gastric banding. CONCLUSION: Search interests in Australia and worldwide were similar for gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy but different for gastric bypass surgery. Online search activity did not have a significant association with the types of bariatric surgery being performed in Australia.

Impact of socioeconomic status and road distance to hospital on perforated appendicitis rates at a large rural referral centre.

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic status and distance from hospital have been shown to be associated with poor surgical outcomes related to acute appendicitis. Indigenous populations experience greater socioeconomic disadvantages and poorer healthcare access than their non-Indigenous counterparts. This study aims to determine whether socioeconomic status and road distance from hospital are predictors of perforated appendicitis. It will also compare surgical outcomes of appendicitis between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. METHODS: We performed a 5-year retrospective study of all patients who underwent appendicectomy for acute appendicitis at a large rural referral centre. Patients were identified using the hospital database for theatre events coded as appendicectomy. Regression modelling was used to determine if socioeconomic status and road distance from hospital were associated with perforated appendicitis. The outcomes of appendicitis between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations were compared. RESULTS: Seven hundred and twenty-two patients were included in this study. The rate of perforated appendicitis was not significantly impacted by socioeconomic status (OR 0.993, 95% CI 0.98-1.006, P = 0.316) or road distance from hospital (OR = 0.911, 95% CI 0.999-1.001, P = 0.911). Indigenous patients did not have a significantly higher rate of perforation compared to non-Indigenous patients (P = 0.849) despite having overall lower socioeconomic status (P = 0.005) and longer road distance from hospital (P = 0.025). CONCLUSION: Lower socioeconomic status and longer road distance from hospital were not associated with an increased risk of perforated appendicitis. Indigenous populations have poorer socioeconomic status and longer road distance to hospital but did not have higher rates of perforated appendicitis.

Radiation exposure in emergency ureteric stenting: A subgroup analysis by operator.

Objectives: To review radiation exposure during emergency ureteric stent insertion to identify differences based on operator experience, specialty operator and stone characteristics. Patients and methods: A retrospective audit over 10 years was performed for patients who underwent emergency stent insertion for urolithiasis with intraoperative fluoroscopy. Outcomes measured included operator experience, radiation exposure (mGy), dose area product (Gy/cm2), fluoroscopy time, stone characteristics and patient BMI. Analysis was performed in IBM SPSS Version 28. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Four hundred ten patients were identified, with a median age of 57 years, 64.6% male and a median BMI of 30. Urolithiasis was left-sided in 50.8%, with a median size of 7 mm and predominantly proximal (49%) followed by mid (34.5%) and distal (12.1%) location. Median radiation exposure was 12.6 mGy, 2.94 Gy/cm2 and fluoroscopy time 44.5 s, with no significant difference between consultants and registrars. No significant association between radiation exposure for subgroups of stone location, gender, size, laterality or specialty registrar (general surgery vs. urology). Conclusion: No significant difference in radiation exposure was identified between registrars and consultants or between subspecialty registrars. We suggest formal radiation safety education for all health professionals involved with intra-operative fluoroscopy and personal dosimeters.

The European Working Time Directive: Will Modern Surgical Training in the United Kingdom Be Sufficient?

Purpose The introduction of the European Working Time Directive in 2009 limits doctors in the United Kingdom to a 48-hour working week. The reduction in surgical training time raises concern over the ability of future surgeons to deliver safe and effective care. Methods This interview-based qualitative study was conducted within a tertiary referral centre in the United Kingdom. Nine consultant general surgeons were interviewed with the aim of investigating how surgical trainees can comply with the European Working Time Directive whilst gaining sufficient knowledge, skill and experience to be safe surgeons. Results Consultants felt that the European Working Time Directive has impacted surgical training, patient care, service provision, and the professional attitudes of trainees. They felt that current surgical trainees have a relative lack of experience compared to previous generations, which has impacted their ability to manage complex patients. The consultant-trainee relationship was felt to have suffered due to shorter working hours. Furthermore, the move towards shift work has resulted in a lack of continuity of care for patients. Consultants suggested reconfiguring theatre lists to maximise opportunities for trainees. They also recommended that trainees seek out alternative learning methodologies such as simulation, and consider clinical fellowships at the completion of their training to maximise their experience and surgical skills prior to consultancy. Conclusion This study highlights the concerns that senior surgeons working in a busy tertiary referral centre have towards the European Working Time Directive and modern surgical training. The authors recommend that both trainees and consultants have a responsibility to maximize opportunities during training, and that mentorship will need to continue at the consultant level. Further research in other centres can determine whether these sentiments are widespread, and whether institutional steps should be taken to change the way that modern surgeons are trained.

Endoscopic Evaluation of Biliary Strictures: Current and Emerging Techniques.

The diagnosis of biliary strictures in clinical practice can be challenging. Discriminating between benign and malignant biliary strictures is important to prevent the morbidity and mortality associated with incorrect diagnoses. Missing a malignant biliary stricture may delay surgery, resulting in poor prognostic outcomes. Conversely, it has been demonstrated that approximately 20% of patients who undergo surgery for suspected biliary malignancies have a benign etiology on histopathology. Traditional tissue sampling using endoscopic retrograde cholangiography does not always produce a definitive diagnosis, with a considerable proportion of cases remaining as indeterminate biliary strictures. Recent advances in endoscopic techniques have the potential to improve the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of biliary strictures.

Endoscopic lithotripsy for Bouveret syndrome complicated by small bowel obstruction secondary to gallstone fragments.

Bouveret syndrome is a rare complication of cholecystitis, in which impaction of a gallstone creates a cholecystoduodenal fistula leading to gastric outlet obstruction. We report a case of a 90-year-old female who presented with nausea and vomiting on a background of previous necrotic cholecystitis managed conservatively. Computed tomography of the abdomen demonstrated a large gallstone impacted in the third part of the duodenum leading to gastric outlet obstruction. Given her frailty, the patient underwent endoscopy to relieve the obstruction; however, complete retrieval of the gallstone fragments after lithotripsy was not possible. She subsequently developed distal gallstone ileus due to migration of the gallstone fragments and underwent laparotomy, enterotomy and retrieval of the fragments. This case highlights the dilemma of managing elderly patients with Bouveret syndrome with open or endoscopic surgery and the importance of retrieving all gallstone fragments after lithotripsy to avoid iatrogenic complications, such as gallstone ileus.

The missing spleen - A diagnosis of medical identity fraud in surgery: Case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Medical identity fraud is a growing concern in surgery and can adversely affect patient care. Fraudulent medical information can result in misdiagnoses or inadequate preoperative workup of surgical patients. CASE PRESENTATION: A 63-year-old female presented to hospital with a fishbone-related oesophageal perforation. Unbeknownst to the surgical team, the patient was committing medical identity fraud and impersonating another 57-year-old female. She underwent a gastroscopy with removal of the fishbone while her true identity remained concealed. A progress CT scan performed three days post-gastroscopy revealed an absent spleen, which was present on ultrasound as recent as three weeks prior to her admission. The patient was confronted about this discrepancy and confessed to committing medical identity fraud. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Detection of medical identity fraud remains a challenging problem in healthcare systems worldwide. Various methods have been proposed to improve detection of medical identity fraud but there has been limited studies on their effectiveness in hospital settings. Given the serious health repercussions that can arise from medical identity fraud, it is imperative that better detection methods become available in the future. CONCLUSION: Medical identity fraud is a complex problem that requires better detection methods to prevent patient harm. Surgeons should be aware of the adverse health consequences that can arise from medical identity fraud.

Profound remission in Crohn's disease requiring no further treatment for 3-23 years: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease (CD) is rising in incidence and has a high morbidity and increased mortality. Current treatment use immunosuppressives but efficacy is suboptimal, and relapse is common. It has been shown that there is an imbalance present in the gut microbiome (dysbiosis) in CD with a possible infective aetiology-Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) being the most proposed. Antibacterial therapy and Faecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) are emerging treatments which can result in clinical and endoscopic remission, if employed correctly. The objective of this study was to report on the treatment and clinical outcomes of patients with CD in prolonged remission. RESULTS: Ten patients were identified to have achieved prolonged remission for 3-23 years (median 8.5 years). Of these, 7/10 took targeted Anti-MAP therapy (AMAT) for a median 36 months and then ceased AMAT treatment. After stopping AMAT five patients underwent Faecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) (average four infusions). In 4/7, AMAT was combined with infliximab (mean of six infusions) that was withdrawn within 6 months after fistulae resolution. One patient achieved deep mucosal healing with AMAT alone. Of the 3/10 patients not prescribed AMAT, one had a combination of anti-inflammatory agents and a single antibiotic (metronidazole) followed by FMT. The other two received only FMT for Clostridioides difficile Infection. CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged remission has been achieved for 3-23 years with individualised treatments, with the majority using AMAT ± infliximab and FMT. Treatment with antibiotics and/or FMT provides a potential new avenue for treatment of CD. These findings should stimulate thinking, investigations and better therapy against MAP and the dysbiosis of the gut flora, to enable higher rates of prolonged remission.

Laparoscopic colopexy for neo-left colonic volvulus 10 years after anterior resection.

Recurrent neo-left colonic volvulus is a rare complication following anterior resection. The conventional approach to treating recurrent volvulus is a large bowel resection with anastomosis or colostomy formation after successful endoscopic decompression. However, in elderly and comorbid patients, this can result in significant morbidity or mortality. Laparoscopic colopexy is a less invasive alternative that has not been previously reported for the treatment of neo-left colonic volvulus. We describe a case of an 86-year-old male who presented with recurrent neo-left colonic volvulus 10 years post-laparoscopic anterior resection for cancer. A laparoscopic colopexy was performed to resolve the volvulus and prevent future recurrence. Interrupted prolene sutures were used to fix the neo-left colon to the posterior stomach and the left lateral abdominal wall. The patient had an uncomplicated postoperative recovery and was discharged 6 days after surgery. He was well at 6 months follow-up.

Targeted Combination Antibiotic Therapy Induces Remission in Treatment-Naïve Crohn's Disease: A Case Series.

Prospective trials of anti-mycobacterial antibiotic therapy (AMAT) have proven efficacious in Crohn's disease (CD) but use as first-line treatment in CD has not been evaluated. This paper reports the outcomes of patients with CD treated with first-line AMAT. This paper consists of a case series of treatment-naïve CD patients who received AMAT as first-line treatment between 2007 and 2014 at a single center. AMAT treatment consisted of rifabutin, clofazimine and clarithromycin, plus either ciprofloxacin, metronidazole or ethambutol. Symptoms, inflammatory blood markers, colonoscopy and histology results, in addition to, the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) were tabulated from patients' clinical records, and descriptive statistics were conducted. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test assessed the difference in CDAI scores before and while on AMAT. The statistical significance was set at 5%. Clinical remission (CDAI < 150) with rapid improvement in clinical symptoms and inflammatory markers was seen in all eight patients receiving AMAT as sole therapy by 6 weeks. In all eight patients, the median CDAI score decreased significantly, from 289 prior to treatment to 62 at the 12-month follow-up (p < 0.001). Follow-up colonoscopies showed healing of CD ulcers, no visible mucosal inflammation, restoration of normal vascular patterns and complete mucosal healing on histology samples. AMAT as first-line therapy demonstrated a rapid improvement of Crohn's disease (not previously seen when used as second-line therapy).

Retained gallbladder secondary to retrieval bag rupture during laparoscopic cholecystectomy-A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Retrieval bags are used in laparoscopic cholecystectomies to reduce the risk of bile and gallstone spillage during removal of the gallbladder. Retrieval bag rupture is rare, and its complications have never been previously documented. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 17-year-old female presented three months post-laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a tender periumbilical mass. Her operative report noted difficulty removing the retrieval bag from the infra-umbilical port site. Imaging of the lump revealed an intra-abdominal fluid collection communicating with the umbilicus. A diagnostic laparoscopy uncovered significant pus in the peritoneal cavity and a gallbladder remnant with multiple gallstones. A combination of sharp and blunt dissections was used to free the gallbladder remnant from its adherent surroundings for removal. A peritoneal washout was performed following extraction of the retained gallstones. The patient's presentation could be traced back to her laparoscopic cholecystectomy where it was confirmed that the retrieval bag ruptured during removal. This would have transected the gallbladder, causing its remnants and associated gallstones to be retained in the peritoneal cavity. DISCUSSION: Retrieval bag rupture can result in retained gallbladder remnants in the peritoneal cavity. Abdominal abscess can manifest months after the initial operation. CONCLUSION: Retrieval bags should be inspected following removal to ensure it is completely intact. Surgeons should consider extending the fascial incision if there is any difficulty during removal. Any damage to the retrieval bag mandates immediate pneumoperitoneum for further exploration of retained products. Governance bodies should incorporate practice guidelines related to retrieval bag rupture as these are currently not present.

Expert-led didactic versus self-directed audiovisual training of confocal laser endomicroscopy in evaluation of mucosal barrier defects.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) allows mucosal barrier defects along the intestinal epithelium to be visualized in vivo during endoscopy. Training in CLE interpretation can be achieved didactically or through self-directed learning. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of expert-led didactic with self-directed audiovisual teaching for training inexperienced analysts on how to recognize mucosal barrier defects on endoscope-based CLE (eCLE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized controlled study involved trainee analysts who were taught how to recognize mucosal barrier defects on eCLE either didactically or through an audiovisual clip. After being trained, they evaluated 6 sets of 30 images. Image evaluation required the trainees to determine whether specific features of barrier dysfunction were present or not. Trainees in the didactic group engaged in peer discussion and received feedback after each set while this did not happen in the self-directed group. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of both groups were compared. RESULTS: Trainees in the didactic group achieved a higher overall accuracy (87.5 % vs 85.0 %, P  = 0.002) and sensitivity (84.5 % vs 80.4 %, P  = 0.002) compared to trainees in the self-directed group. Interobserver agreement was higher in the didactic group (k = 0.686, 95 % CI 0.680 - 0.691, P  < 0.001) than in the self-directed group (k = 0.566, 95 % CI 0.559 - 0.573, P  < 0.001). Confidence (OR 6.48, 95 % CI 5.35 - 7.84, P  < 0.001) and good image quality (OR 2.58, 95 % CI 2.17 - 2.82, P  < 0.001) were positive predictors of accuracy. CONCLUSION: Expert-led didactic training is more effective than self-directed audiovisual training for teaching inexperienced analysts how to recognize mucosal barrier defects on eCLE.